Surfacing machine



June l5, 1948. .1. J. ovERzAT f 2,443,194

A sUaFAcING MACHINE Filed March 1o, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 A INVENTOR.

Josep/1 J Overza ATTORNEY June l5, 1948, IJ. J. Ovr-:R'zAT ISURFACING' MACHINE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Maron 1o, 1945 A z I I y INVENTOR. Joseph J Overza ATTORNEY Patented .lune 15, 1948 Z,443,i9i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under 'the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. Gr. `'157) 7 Claims.

This invention relates in general to surfacing machines and in particular to an improved multiple lapping machine. The process performed by the machine is disclosed and claimed in application Serial Number '711,333 filed November 21, 1945, by Joseph Overzat.

It is an object of thi-s invention to provide a machine for surfacing workpieces, as by lapping, wherein the workpieces are subjected to a spiral abrading motion.

It is another object to provide a machine for surfacing workpieces, as by lapping, wherein the workpieces are subjected to a substantially spiral abrading motion.

It is a further object to provide a surfacing machine wherein the radius of the abrading motion is varied automatically in timed relationship with the abrading motion.

It is a further object to provide a machine for simultaneously surfacing a plurality of pairs of workpieces with oppositely congured mating surfaces.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic top view showing the power transmission to the individual surfacing units.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view, partially in section, showing the working parts of one of the multiple surfacing units.

Fig. 1 shows a preferred form of the machine having four separate lapping units generally des- L ignated Il?. each mounted upon a supporting frame Ii the upper portion of which also carries a common power element such as a motor I2.

Each unit I i* (Figs. l and 3) has a base disc i3 adjustably mounted on the supporting frame il and adapted to apply upward pressure by means of a hand screw l!! and an inner spring I5. Adjacent to base disc I`3 and substantially parallel to the surface thereof is located a lapping disc i5. The base disc I3 and lapping disc I' provided with clamps or fasteners Il to support and retain workpieces I'la` on which the lapping operation is to be performed.

Pivotally connected by a ball-and-socket joint if! to lapping disc lo is a -spindle i9 provided with a universal joint 2t near the end remote from said disc l5. The lapping disc it is optionally guided by a movable rod 2i, which is retained in its relative positional angle by means of support 22 on frame II. The rod 2l prevents the lapping disc I6 from rotating while permitting it to move in a spiral path. The upper end 23 of the spindle I9 is pivotally connected to a rotary driving disc 24, rotatably supported by the supporting frame I I.

The driving disc 2li` is provided with a friction clutch 25 comprising a male member 25 and female member 25a and adapted to be released or engaged by means of hand wheel 27 operating on screw threads (not shown). Connected to the male member 26 of clutch 25 is a bevel gear 29 arranged to transmit power to each unit It?. Meshing with the bevel gear 29 and transmitting powerthereto is a bevel gear 39 mounted on a shaft 3| journalled in bearing brackets 3 la. One of the shafts 3l carries a worm gear 32 driven by a worm 33 mounted on the motor shaft Sil of the motor I2.

Between the ends of spindle IS there is a fioating pivot or fulcrum 35 slidably connected to said spindle I9 by means of a ball-and-socket t5 having a bore 3'I for slidably receiving the spindle i9. Fulcrum 35 is adapted to be moved reciprocably in a vertical direction by means of a rod 3B, which operably interconnects each pair of vfulcra 35. The rod 38 carries a pin 39 upon which links 40 are mounted. At their opposite ends the links 40 are connected to a pin fil mounted upon a driving disc 42. The driving discs ft2 are mounted upon a shaft 43 rotatably supported in bearing brackets 44 eXtending'do-wnwardly from the supporting frame II.

To prevent motion other than vertical in said iioating fulcrum 35, the rods 38 are provided with sleeve bearings l5 slidably mounted on guide rods 4.6. The guide rods 46 are secured at their upper ends to the upper portion of the supporting frame I I and at their lower ends to a rectangular frame ll'I, which in turn is mounted upon posts ald extending upwardly from the lower portion of the supporting frame Il.` Mounted upon the shaft i3 is a worm wheel 49 (Fig, 2) within a reduction gear box 50. Meshing with the worm wheel i9 is a worm 5I mounted upon the cross-shaft 52 journalled in bearing brackets 53. The crossshaft 52 at its opposite ends carries bevel gears 54 meshing with bevel gears 55 mounted on and driven by the shafts 3|'. One of the shafts 3i, as previously described, is driven from the motor shaft 34 by way of the worm 33 and worm Wheel 32.

In the operation of this machine, in any unit I0 the workpiece I'Ia on which the lapping operation is to beperformed, is firmly fastened to the discs I3 and IG by means of the clamps II, and a suitable abrasive applied. Pressure is applied by means of hand screw I4 and spring I5, the power is turned on, and the clutch engaged. The driving disc 24 rotates -causing the upper end 5 23 of spindletl etcinovemin a circular patmthere.- by causing thegspixnd'lesportions;en7 oppostefrsdes of the iioating fulcrum to describe vconical paths around the oating fulcrum 35 acting as a pivot.

Simultaneously with the motion just idesciibei. Y

the floating ulcruin 35 is caused to undergo Vrefciprocal vertical motion, the gear rati'o being'such that this motion is relativelyifconsrderaibsfi'slwl? i' than the motion of disc Iii. The spind1e| 9con l5 sists of two sections, one above the floatingful'- crum 35 and one below the said ftllrumm As the oating fulcrum 35 reachesthe bottomgor itsfr path, the lower section-:of said spindle I9 is proportionatelvmuchshorter thantheigippensection 2o andtheretoremctione imparted. 'to' the lapping discflt` is, alongagpath o'imuchsmaller; diameter thantlfiepath` oi-fmotionioispindle. endg.. As thesfulc'rum '[35; reachesvthetop, ofeitsfpathith'e lower section of spindle I9 is? proportionately 25 longer. than.; the..upper.,sectien ,andxrthereforefthe motion imparted to.disc lrisaalng aspathof comparatively lrgered-iameter A tlfian,.`th eipatiner motonnofvspiridle.v 61.151,23. .wismllllerih lapping-,msc liaundergoes motion .alor1g..a..spira1 30 path..thus.me1sme it. ideally adapted--ft0lanpng operationsaby circular-,distributing the abrasive and .by .continuallyKJ varyingthapath ,o f .the .,abrading.fmctionvandebreakngsip:anyircpetitiveresw lar'motion. I. 3D

By-means Iofsclutcbes25.` each of thennts i0 can ,be 1 mdependently disconnected ffromwthe power source I2. Accordingly itis possihlejor each unit 1.0 nto operate. =indep.endent1yoi.:the others. -Infthisswayiene operatoacan. maintain .all ,or units L0 sin.7 substantially,constant operation-without necessitating :the shuttingrdown the entire Inaclfline.:for the-removal of...one.fpieceiof work. f-

1, apparatus:cantinesadaptsdto numerous similarnuses; @E011 example plane, surfaces canbe .boned cralappednwitn .this-apparatus. Largercr smallerearticlescan-belapped-bn- Suitablegadjust.- :ment-@ofthe lowenlapping disci.v -In.-c.ases.wl1ere y.it isidesiredv todae-1 extremelv..1arge.cbjects, the 50 base Ydisc.r cansbe completely nremoved.; and.. ,the article to be lapped supported-and heldincontact with `the .lapping rsurface.` by. ottieni-appropriate y.means ".#Ihalappinaidisd, Mi by virtue, cfmitsipivyotal rconnection .to, .thefsp'ndle fvl'iautomaticaldy 55 .adjusts itself. tocurved regulansurraes ,of sub- Istantial-lv.-v allfsizess therebyt eliminating the, ner-cessity for.. frequent .adjustments between VmineratQnS: t Y Y ,f In theprocessof, .thisginvention oneoithemork- 6o pieces vI .'I a`. is, moved, ,infl a spiralpa tn whi1e.the surfacing roperation, issleeing .perrormed .While theinventionis ,described ,incqnnection .withlap- .ping two...workpi-eces` I] a .with matingsurfaces Yone.,of..tne werkpiecesellmcanbe replaeedbma lap. ,or-.tool having ap1ar1eor.., spherical surface whose congurationlistransierrcdta `the. .workpieceflla byfthe operation ofsthe machine.

.tions andchangesmayvbe madein this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereoLas set fortuin the appendedplaims. L

liThelinventionidescribed; bereingmavbe man- ,uiacturedend usedgbvor., iorltnelGcverrimentpf thefUn'ii-,e'd States of America for governmental 75 purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for surfacing a workpiece comprising a supporting member for the workpiece, a* surfacing member associated therewithhfor progid-'ding a; coliauration' to be -impartedstotbe workpiece, a rotary driving elementyaJ "driven element ,operatively connected at o-ne en-d to said driving -clement and at the other end to oneof said memqbegsf respectively, a fulcrum engaging said -driven element at a klocation intermediate its ends, a

,pewer means'or rotating said driving element,

gandwngecbanismmoperatively connected to said power-means for moving said fulcrum relative to theends of said driven element whereby to cause ``thenaortionssofusrdd.driven element on opposite Alsdesf saiipvot to describe 'conical paths of varying radii.

2.*A machine for surfacing a workpiececomprisi'ng a support memberfor the-workpiece, a surfacing membcitagrotary driving elernen't;` a driven element' operative-lv connected adjacent itsgoppositegends toyi-saidjdrivingelement-and to one of said members-'respectively, a 'tu-lcrum engaging saiddriven element-at `a-locaifion lintermed-ia'teits'endsra-power-means forrotating said dri-vingcelement; and-.mechanism operatively! cennectedl to said power meansL -for moving said.Y fulcrum relative to the ends of said/fdrivemelement .vlaerebyto cause -aY movable contactbetween saidl members; saidcontact l:moving int i a -path 'whose -proje-ctiomupona-plane perpendicular `to the-axis of the workpiece member is a spiral.;

-3;. #Awmaohine-ffer. surfacing a workpiece -com prisinga support member fori the,` workpiecefa surfacingfmembers, aefrotaryfdriving. elen'ient;Y a driven element u operativelyconnected adjacent v its opposite ends-to -said driving-element andy to one -ofwsaid members respecti-vely,` af fulcrumiengaging saiddr-iven element-at a locationsintermediate its ends, a power means for rotatingsaid drivingelement, :andfimechanism operatively con- -nectedh-ltofsa-id v-pc'mwermeans' for `moving said ful,- crumvrelative to* the .ends-fof'vsa-id driven` element whereby to cause a movable `Contact betweensaid members, Isaid contact. moi/ling gin a substantialiy spiral path. i 4. machine der euri-eckig.- ar werkpiececom- .pricing-a vsupport;member-ior 'the workpiece/a surfacing member, a rotary driving elemenawa 'driven element conneotedadjacent its opposite endseccentri'caliyto vsaid-during element .and to one of said members-respectively,aulcrum engaging-said driven element intermediate its ende. and means forjmovingfsaid; fulcrum along )afpathlbetween-said-driving element and the connectedmember 5. f ri-machine vfor; surfacingaworkpiece comprising ag-support-memberor the workpiece@ surfacing member, a rotary drivingeiement.r a driven element;- connected adjacent 'its opposite ends 'eccentricauy to s aid driving element f andY to,one ofsaid--members respectively, a fulcrum engaging said, drivenelement intermediate its ends, means forA rotating said rotary driving element, and Ymeans fior synchronously moving lsaid fulcrum along a path between said driving elementand the connected member.

.j 6. A YIrlafthine 'for surfacing a workpiece con prising a support member forr the workpiece, 'a .suriacing member@ .rctaryrdisae spindle. adia- .centorie endv connected eccentricallv t0. said. disc and adjacentthe other end, connected.. toene 0f said members, a ball-and-socket fulcrum engag-r ing said spindle intermediate its ends, means for rotating said rotary disc, and means connected with said irst means for moving said fulcrum synchronously with rotation of said disc along a path between said disc and the connected member.

7. A machine for surfacing a workpiece comprising a support member for the workpiece, a surfacing member, a fulcrum, a lever engaged REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 6 le of this patent:

by said fulcrum, said lever adjacent one end 10 being connected to one of said members, means for moving said lever adjacent its other end in a circular path, and means for synchronously moving said fulcrum along a path between said means and the connected member.

JOSEPH J. OVERZAT.

UNITED STATES PATENTS l 

